ID :
9978
Fri, 06/13/2008 - 15:14
Auther :

National workshop on the drafting of new fisheries law

(KPL) A national workshop on the drafting of a new fisheries law was held in Vientiane on 10 - 11 June. The workshop was jointly organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the FAO office in Laos.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr. Bounthong Saphady, member of the
committee for drafting of the new fisheries law, said that the draft law on
fisheries commenced in 2007.

Mr. Serge Verniau, FAO Representative, Lao office, said that a national
workshop held in December 2007 reviewed and agreed with the findings of the
FISHLEG Project team.

The team found that there was an urgent need for a new fisheries law that
recognised unique characteristics of the Lao PDR and the importance of
fisheries resources to its peoples.

Such law should facilitate sustainable utilisation of these resources under
a new management framework.
The framework should be based on practical systems of management and promote
participatory approaches for better compliance and the support of
livelihoods.

The Workshop agreed that the new law will be a framework law that is
durable, flexible and responsible to new challenges. The workshop also
endorsed the drafting of the new law through an effective stakeholder
consultation process.

He added that only a month after the December 2007 workshop, a draft law was
presented to the Lao PDR for its preliminary consideration. In recognising
the need to maintain momentum in development of the new law, MAF-DLF
requested for additional FAO assistance to complete the work.

FAO positively responded through allocation of resources, including
resources from the Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) Facility.

The TCP Facility Project which I endorsed, funded additional provincial consultations, this workshop and will support further work to finalise the project outcomes.

FAO financially supported quickly this process as we
consider that the country is at risk at the time of massive investment in mining, hydropower and agro-industry.

The new Law is also important taking into account, the push for increased rice production and the increased input of mineral fertilizers and pesticides that negatively affect the aquatic biodiversity which contributes to the diet of rural people.

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